Suzaku vs Seiryu
by Kristall
Summary: Suzaku, Seiryu, and the entire Fushigi Yugi gang are in college. Also, Tasuki may have found the girl he's been looking for...rating raised due to unexpected twists to the story. Hey the thing writes itself at times! COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Suzaku vs. Seiryu 

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Fushigi Yugi or its characters, especially Tasuki (aww man!). I do own everything else.

A/N: This is a fic that I've been kicking around for several months, and finally getting a chance to write. It's been several years since my last fic, so I'm a little out of practice. That said, I hope you enjoy the fic!

Prologue

Everyone on the campus knew about Suzaku and Seiryu. They were arch rivals, both excellent students and top athletes. Suzaku played football, while Seiryu played basketball. Everyone also knew about their close friends, the gangs. Gangs in the sense that they ran around together, not that they were mean. In fact, the Suzaku and Seiryu gang members were some of the coolest people on campus. They liked to hang out with nearly everyone, and were all very involved in the community. In fact, the professors were known to say that the only flaw they had was that the two gangs couldn't stand each other.

Tamahome and Hotohori played football along with Suzaku. Miaka, Tamahome's girlfriend, was a cheerleader. All of the other cheerleaders had a crush on Nuriko, who was the mascot for the teams. Chiriko was studying business, and Mitsukake was in pre-med. Chichiri was thinking of becoming a minister or a missionary, but he was currently studying theology. And Tasuki, while not having a particular field of study, played ice hockey with the local college level team.

Nakago was on the men's basketball team as well as Seiryu. Amiboshi and Suboshi both played soccer, and Amiboshi also took flute lessons. Tomo was in the theater club with Miboshi. Ashitare was on the wrestling team, and Soi was on the women's basketball team. She also dated Nakago. Yui played tennis and also was on the president's honor roll, as well as one of the top academic acheivers in the Honors program. Now there were times when Nuriko and Miaka would run into Seiryu, Nakago, Amiboshi, and Suboshi at games, but Nuriko ignored them, while they snuck looks at Miaka. Miaka couldn't care less, she was there to get the fans to cheer for the teams. Anyway, the guys stayed close to the bench, so they didn't really run into each other.

Everyone on campus also knew that Tasuki was probably the one guy on campus who had never had a girlfriend. The rumor was that he hated girls. In a way it was true, but what he really didn't like was the way that none of the girls could really put up with him for more than five minutes at a time, except for Miaka, and she was already taken. Tasuki just wanted someone who could match him in an argument and still come out of the argument laughing. It wasn't easy, even for the rest of the Suzaku gang.

Now just because they were realatively nice didn't mean that the Seiryu gang was above tormenting the freshmen at the college. In fact, this was how the Suzaku gang ran into a new girl at the campus. She was pretty, not drop dead georgeous, but still not your average looks girl. She also was pretty athletic, she was into skating, track, and swimming. She also happened to be in the Honors program. Anyway, Suzaku, Tasuki and Nuriko came around a corner outside the local mall to find her in the act of punching Seiryu in the gut. A moment later, Nakago grabbed her from behind. While he held her, Tomo slapped her hard enough to make her sag in Nakago's arms. But before Suzaku or the others could move, she suddenly hooked her leg around Nakago's and yanked him to the ground. Tomo would have grabbed her, but Nuriko put a hand on his shoulder. Realizing who was there, Seiryu and his friends split.

"What was that all about?"

"That tall one, Nakago, he started it. Said I looked pretty fine, and then asked if I wanted a drink or two. I told them to leave me alone, but Seiryu grabbed me roughly. I thought they were going to hurt me, so I punched him in the gut. That's when you showed up." Tasuki looked at the others and chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"They probably were just pulling your leg. But now, it's going to be hard to make friends with them. Want to hang out with us?"

"Only if you swear not to pull anything on me."

"Hey, what's the problem. You hate guys or somethin'?"

"Not all guys, just one. The details are not for common knowledge though."

"Why not?" Suzaku spoke up now.

"I'm still getting over the idiot. Maybe later I'll tell, but not for a long time."

"Ok. My name's Nuriko by the way. What's yours?"

"Lanisa, but just call me Lani. Everyone else does. So, where're you guys headed?"

"We were going to meet up with the rest of our gang at Chedder's. Wanna come?"

"You bet!" They all went to Suzaku's car and hopped in. Soon they were enjoying a meal at Chedder's, laughing and comparing homework. It turned out that they were all in the same History class. Lani also had a good voice, and soon the others were asking her to sing their favorites. She obliged, but in the back of her mind she was wondering where she had seen Seiryu before.

So, what do you guys think? Please review and let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

Suzaku vs. Seiryu 

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Fushigi Yugi or anything that is the wonderful creation of Yu Watase. I do, however, own Lani. My eternal appologies for taking so long with this, but the internet at home went down right after I posted the prolouge and I had to study for midterms, and a bunch of other stuff came up. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, the story should get better now.

Chapter 1

Lani woke up and smiled to herself. The past week had been so amazing. Suzaku and Chichiri had been so helpful showing her around campus. She would have figured that Chichiri was the reclusive type, but he was pretty active on and off campus. He was a member of the Student Government as well. Tamahome, Nuriko, and Hotohori had been pure fun to be around, and Miaka was enthusiastic about nearly everything. Chiriko was a bit of a bookworm, but when he could be pried away from his books, he turned into a super trivia player, bordering on the obsessive at times. And Tasuki…

She felt herself blushing a bit. Tasuki had teased her from the start, but strangely, she felt comfortable around him. He let forget, almost, the last guy she had been with. The one she hated. A frown crossed her face. She hadn't heard a word from him for over two years, not since he left for college.

She shook her head to clear these thoughts and caught a glimpse of the clock as she did so. "Oh shit!" The clock said that it was a quarter till nine. Her first class was at nine, and a ten minute walk away. That left five minutes to get dressed and find her books. Lani jumped out of bed and grabbed her jeans.

Fifteen minutes later, she walked in the door of her class. The teacher wasn't there yet, so she would not be counted late. This was good. The teacher hated it when students came in late and gave out extra homework to anyone who came in late. Lani walked over and sat down next to Hotohori, who was in the class as well. "What took you so long?"

"I was up pretty late studying for a major test in History, and slept in this morning. I should have heard the alarm clock, but it didn't go off for some reason. My room mate must have forgotten to turn it back on." Hotohori grinned to himself. Tasuki had talked Lani's room mate into turning off the alarm on purpose so that Lani would be late and forced to sit in the back, next to the empty seat Tasuki planned to sit in when he joined the class today. Sure enough, the teacher walked in with Tasuki and introduced him to the rest of the class. Tasuki took his seat in the back and grinned. Don't you normally sit in the front?"

"I was late today, but I may make the change permanent. Oh, here's our tests back." Lani and Hotohori flipped to the last page. Hotohori made a face. "What?"

"I only got 89 points. How'd you do?"

"I got 90. You didn't do really bad, though, so look on the bright side." They got quiet then, since the teacher was starting to glare at them. With a final glance to make sure they were paying attention, the lecture started.

After class, Hotohori and Tasuki headed off to another class while Lani went to the library to meet with Chiriko, who was a great help with summarising her reading assignments. She was just about to go in when she heard a thud behind her. Turning, she saw that Seiryu had just punched Tamahome in the face, and Tamahome was on the ground. She was about to run to them when a hand grabbed her. "Don't. I'll handle this." It was Suzaku.

All it took was Suzaku walking over to the scene to break it up. Seiryu and Suzaku spoke quietly for a moment, and then parted. Tamahome and Lani followed him, wondering what on earth had happened. This was the first time in nearly two years that Seiryu and Suzaku had spoken to each other--and not gotten into a fight.

Lani, Suzaku, and the rest of the gang were eating lunch when Tamahome spoke up. "What did you do to get Seiryu to run off like that?" The other gang members had been updated on what had happened, but none of them could figure out how Suzaku had managed to avoid getting in a fight with Seiryu.

"Simple. You know how we have always avoided fighting if at all possible?" The others nodded. "Well, I'm about to break that."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to fight Seiryu, at the end of the semester. The loser is the one who goes to the hospital."

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and again, my appologies on how long this one took. Please R&R!


	3. Chapter 3

Suzaku vs. Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: No I don't own Fushigi Yugi, I just love the story. I do own Lani and any other original characters that may pop up. Also, as a warning, this chapter gets very dark, but it's necessary for the next chapter.

Chapter 2

By the end of the day, the story of what had happened had gone around the campus. However, no one knew for sure, except for the gangs, what exactly had been arranged. After soccer practice, a weary Miaka walked over to where Tamahome, Suzaku, and Nuriko were standing. "Man, all anyone wanted to ask me about was what you and Seiryu said to each other. They didn't even tell me about the new restaurant in town!" Tamahome laughed, but Nuriko nodded.

"I've heard people betting on what was said. Some think that there's going to be a huge, all-out fight between the gangs; others think that Suzaku knows something about Seiryu's past that he doesn't want people to find out about. I didn't say anything about what would happen, but it's interesting that Seiryu might have something to hide."

"As far as I know, he doesn't have anything to hide. He's got a clean record."

"You're wrong, Suzaku." The others turned to see Lani walking up to them. She was followed by the rest of their group. The others were surprised at the look on Lani's face. "He has a lot to hide."

"How do you know?"

"Remember when I told you that he seemed familiar to me, like I'd seen him before somewhere?" The others nodded. "It was before he came to college. He was using a fake name in high school, most of the kids thought that 'Seiryu' was too weird. He was my boyfriend. The last one I was with."

"What happened? I remember you said you were getting over someone."

"Yeah. Seiryu's the one I was getting over. I mean, sure, people break up when a relationship goes bad, but this was worse than just a normal breakup."

"How could it have been worse?" Lani's eyes fell to the floor and she started to tremble. A single tear slid down her cheek, followed by others. When she finally answered, her voice was shaky and hollow.

"He…he cheated on me. And then when I found out…he started hitting me. Calling me names, saying it was my fault he left…he started punching me. Just before I blacked out, I could feel him pulling at my clothes." She shuddered, and then went on, her voice a little stronger now the worst was over. "When I woke up, I didn't have a shred of clothing on me. I hurt really bad, and I was bleeding. I called the police, and told them everything. He had already left town, though, and they never found him. Small wonder, he must have left for the campus we're on now. My home was in a different state."

Suzaku and the others could hardly believe their ears. However, they were sure that Lani was telling the truth. Her reactions were too real to be acting. That and it was known that Seiryu was not a very good boyfriend, he had constantly cheated. But to hear that he had actually beaten a girl…it was unthinkable, and yet it had happened.

"WATCH OUT!" The gang ducked as a soccer ball came in their direction. They recognized Amiboshi chasing it, and the guys decided to leave. Lani and Miaka stayed though. "Hey, sorry about that. I…what's the matter with her?"

"She's not having a good day, and it just got to her. Lani, wanna come to my room? You can hang out there for a while."

"Sure. Thanks for the warning Amiboshi." They turned to go, but Lani fell. Amiboshi caught her before she hit the ground.

"What's up now?" In answer, Lani shook her head. "You feel sick?" Lani nodded slowly. She then gave a sigh.

"I hate it when that happens. Sorry guys, it's ok."

"Lani, what's wrong?"

"I…well, I know I shouldn't have…I'm pregnant."

Note: Again, I hope you guys don't mind the dark turns here, since this is setting up stuff for the next chapter. Things should get better from here on, but there is a bit of tragedy coming up in the next chapter. Hope to see you again, and please R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

Suzaku vs. Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Fushigi Yugi, and I never have and never will. I do own Lani and any other OCs. I'm sorry this chapter was so late, but first writer's block, then Internet failure, and finally sickness have prevented me from being able to update. Plus, I'm getting close to exam time, so I have to study a lot. Sorry, but I will update sooner, I promise!

Also, there was some confusion about the end of the last chapter. Let me clear things up. Lani was talking to both Miaka and Amiboshi, but Miaka was the only one speaking. Amiboshi was to busy assisting Lani to ask questions. He was holding her up, remember?

Chapter 3

Miaka and Lani hurried over to the apartment that Miaka and Tamahome shared. Lani slid down into a chair with a sigh of relief. Miaka looked over at her. Now that she knew, she could see the very beginnings of a bump in Lani's stomach. Miaka was bursting with questions, but knew that it was Lani's right to tell the story when she wanted, if she wanted to. Lani looked over at Miaka and grinned. "You're just dying to know what happened, aren't you?" Miaka nodded very quickly.

"I wish I knew how I really fell for that guy. It could have been his hair, his eyes, or the fact that he was one hot guy. He worked out a lot. He told me he was a personal trainer, but now I'm not sure. Anyway, I went with him to a party. It was pretty quiet, no drugs, no alcohol, no loud music. I thought that nothing would happen there, it seemed so safe. He got us drinks, and spent the whole party with me. He never did anything to make me feel uncomfortable. But then, I started getting tired. He offered me a ride home, and I accepted. I must have fallen asleep in the car, because the next thing I knew, I was shaken awake by the campus police. It was about 2am, and I had been dumped in front of the dorms I live in. I was wrapped in a blanket and had on only my underwear. They took me to the station and tested me for anything. They found Rohypnol, a type of date-rape drug."

"What happened after that?" Miaka was in shock. It was bad enough to be raped once, but twice? And what was Lani going to do with the baby? Lani shook her head.

"They were able to catch the guy using DNA evidence and they sent him to jail. But I didn't find out about the baby until a month later. I don't know what to do. I want to stay in school and finish my degree, but I don't know if I want to keep the baby or not."

Miaka stood up and held out her hand. "Let's go talk to the guys, ok? They'll all look out for you, you know. And maybe we can figure out an answer." Lani agreed and they headed out.

They had just gone a block when they ran into Seiryu and his entire gang. Miaka grabbed Lani's arm and started to turn, but Nakago and Tomo had come up behind them. Seiryu walked up to Lani and grinned. "Hey there, sweetheart. Good to see you again. What's this latest bit of news that I hear? Got a little one on the way?" Lani glared at Amiboshi, since he was the only one who could have told Seiryu and the others about her. Amiboshi was watching Seiryu though. He didn't like where this was going. Seiryu was in one of his dangerous moods.

Lani looked back at Seiryu, defiant. "So what if I am? Nothing you can do about it." She was scared to death, having caught onto Seiryu's mood as well, but she wasn't going to let on anytime soon. Seiryu's eyes narrowed, ever so slightly. "You said the wrong thing Babe. And there is something I can do about it." Lani's eyes widened for just a second before a foot landed in her stomach. She landed on the ground hard, but still grinned. "That's not gong to end a pregnancy."

Seiryu nodded. "I know that. But, there is something I just saw that you may not have noticed." Lani went white. "Your pants look a bit bloody. You may want to get checked out. See you later!" The gang all walked off, except for Amiboshi and Suboshi. They looked at each other and nodded. A woman who was in trouble came before any rivalries that may exist. "How can we help?"

Miaka looked up. "Amiboshi, you find Tamahome, Suzaku, or any of the others. Tell them that Lani needs help and where we are. Suboshi, call 911." Miaka looked down at Lani, who had closed her eyes and was breathing hard. "We have to get her to the hospital." Amiboshi and Suboshi took off.

Amiboshi found Suzaku, Tasuki and Chichiri at the library, just as he thought. "Hey guys, Lani's in trouble. Miaka's with her, but you need to go. They're a block away from Miaka's apartment, right next to the dorms. Hey, you can let me go man. I didn't do anything." Tasuki was holding Amiboshi by the collar, but set him down.

"If Lani tells me you were lying, you're dead." Then they took off. Amiboshi was surprised. Tasuki had been friendly with Lani, but that was the first time he had ever gone as far as assuming a bodyguard role. But he shrugged it off.

As the Suzaku, Tasuki, and Chichiri reached the dorms, they found Lani being loaded into an ambulance, a small bloodstain on the ground, two police officers, and the rest of the gang standing to one side. Tasuki went right up to an officer and asked what had happened. "You're a friend?" Tasuki nodded. "Lani's going to the hospital. She's having a miscarriage. You guys can follow if you want, but I will want a statement from Miss Yuki afterwards. I'm going to go now and see if I can locate Seiryu and the rest of his gang, I need their statements." The officers left and the ambulance pulled away. Suzaku and his gang all looked at Miaka. "I'll tell you later what's up. For now, we need to get to the hospital. Lani shouldn't have to be alone in this." Suzaku and the others nodded, and then took off for their cars.

Please R&R!


	5. Chapter 5

Suzaku vs. Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I do not own Fushigi Yugi. I do own Lani though. Oh, a note to He-Yan and everyone else, Lani is NOT carrying Seiryu's baby. She is carrying someone else's baby, but he never gets named in this story. Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad to see that people are still reading this story. Things get much better after the beginning of this chapter. Also, I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in so long, but I have finals coming up in a week, so I've been busy.

Chapter 4

Lani was laying a hospital bed when the gang was finally allowed to see her. She was asleep, but she had obviously been crying. A doctor came in and offered to answer any questions they had. The first one was what had happened to the baby. "I had a feeling you would ask that," said the doctor. "Lanisa was about three months along, but the fetus would not have survived even if it had been carried to term. There were abnormalities in the fetus' chromosomes that killed it."

Miaka was shocked. "So there was no way to save the baby?" The doctor shook his head. Tasuki spoke up next. "So what's up with Lani? I mean, is she going to be ok?" The doctor sighed. He looked at Lani, and then turned back to the group. "She will be going through some rough times. She will be grieving for her loss, and her hormones will be all over the place for some time. The thing she needs now is support and her friends. She may go through a period of depression; it's fairly common with miscarriages. Physically, she'll be fine, and eventually mentally as well, but it'll take some time." An announcement came over the PA system. "Please excuse me; I need to check another patient." He walked out, leaving Suzaku and the others in the room.

They all sat there for about half an hour before Lani finally woke up. She looked around, saw they were there, and then turned away from them. Miaka went over to her and gave her arm a gentle pat. "Hey, do you wanna talk?" Lani shook her head and gave what might have been a sob. Very quietly, she said "Go away."

The others were surprised, but they respected her wishes. They all left the room and headed towards the door. Just then, Tasuki realized that he had left his jacket in Lani's room. "Hey, you guys go on ahead. I need to get my jacket. See you at the food court, ok?" They others said they'd wait for him there and went out the door. Tasuki retraced his steps and was about to go in when a hand grabbed his sleeve. Irritated, he turned around, only to find a nurse standing next to him. "I'm sorry, sir, but visiting time is over for today. You can come back tomorrow at eight."

Tasuki nodded at her. "I wasn't coming for a long visit; I just left my jacket here and wanted to pick it up. I promise I won't be more than a minute." The nurse allowed him to go get his jacket and say a brief good-bye to Lani. As he scooped up his jacket, he looked over at Lani. She was watching him. "I just came for my jacket. I'll see you in the morning, before class, if you want me to come." Lani nodded.

"I guess I was a little hard on you guys. It's just that I want to be left alone, but I don't want to push you away. You know what I mean, Tasuki?"

"Yeah, I do. I used to be the same way, back in my freshman year. I soon learned that Suzaku and the others accept people as they are. We understand that you want to have some time to yourself, but the instant you want someone to be here with you, we'll all be here."

"Is that a promise, Tasuki?"

"Sure it is." Tasuki grinned at her. "We look out for each other. When someone's feeling down, or they're hurt, the others are right there to help 'em feel better. And you're a part of the group now. We'll always be there for you." Lani couldn't tell for sure, but she thought that Tasuki might have been blushing, just a bit. She didn't get a chance for a better look though, because Tasuki turned around and left, wishing her a good night's sleep. Lani hesitated, just for a moment, and then turned away from the door. She was very tired, sleep would be a relief. But she couldn't help the fact that she wished someone had stayed. She didn't want to be alone in the room all night long.

She hit the nurse call button, wondering if they could help. A nurse popped her head in and asked what was wrong. "Could I call a friend and ask her to spend the night? I don't want to be alone." The nurse said it would be alright, and handed her the phone. Lani dialed Miaka's cell number and got an answer on the second ring. "Hey Miaka. Listen, would you be willing to spend the night with me? I'm feeling a little down." Miaka said that she would be right over, after she packed her overnight bag. Lani hung up and told the nurse Miaka was coming.

"Alright. I'll let the front desk know so that they will let her in. In the meantime, you should get some rest. You're going through a hard time right now." Lani told her that she would try to rest and the nurse left. Miaka showed up about twenty minutes later. She and Lani chatted for a while, and then Lani, completely exhausted, fell asleep. Miaka settled herself on the fold out chair and soon was asleep herself.

Sorry this took so long to come out. R&R and I will love you forever!


	6. Chapter 6

Suzaku vs. Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer:

sounds of hammering Tasuki: Hey, what's up with the sign?

Kristall: Just a sec…ok. Read it out loud.

Tasuki: "Kristall does not own Fushigi Yugi." Nice. Let's get some lunch.

Kristall: Already ate. turns to readers Enjoy this next chapter, and sorry it took so long. I've been out of town for a whole week, and I had finals the week before.

Chapter 5

A week had passed since Lani had been let out of the hospital. During her stay, the gang had taken turns staying with her and spending the night. Lani had been grateful for their company, but now she had to face going to school everyday. The story of her getting taken away in an ambulance had spread like a wildfire, and everyone kept on asking her what had happened. Fortunately, Suzaku's gang had stepped in, walking with her from class to class and to her dorm room. They told others that if Lani didn't want to talk, then she didn't have to. Tamahome and Miaka were even thinking of letting her move in with them so that she could hide out more easily, if she wanted to.

Lani smiled to herself as she walked to her first class, thinking of how kind and supportive her friends were. A small smile, but she suddenly realized that it was the first time she had smiled since she had gone to the hospital. Thinking of what had happened, though, made her spirits fall. She could feel tears welling up when suddenly someone called her name. She turned to see Tasuki and Suzaku standing just a little way away from her. She walked over to them and gave both a big hug.

Tasuki started when she hugged him, but he hid it with a smile. "You feeling better? I could've sworn that I saw a smile." Lani nodded, but didn't say anything. Tasuki and Suzaku gave each other worried looks. Lani hadn't been herself since she had gotten the news of the miscarriage.

"Have you guys eaten? I'm feeling a little hungry right now."

"We'll pick up something for you at the food court on our way to class. Tasuki and I have already eaten, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't." Lani shrugged and kept on walking, but the guys were really worried now. All Lani did these days was go to class, go home, and do her homework. They could tell that she was grieving for the baby she had lost, but she wasn't really letting it out. Tasuki decided to talk to her after their classes finished and try to get her to let some of the pain out. It wouldn't be easy, but it would be the first step to Lani feeling better.

Just then a group of girls came up, eyes full of curiosity. "Were you the one who went to the hospital in an ambulance?" Lani nodded, which made the girls gasp with excitement. "What happened?" Tasuki put an arm around Lani's shoulders and glared at the girls.

"Lani's going through some difficult times now and wants to be left alone. Go find someone else to gossip about." With that, Suzaku, Tasuki and Lani turned their backs on the girls and entered the student center, leaving the other girls speechless.

Lani was surprised and confused. When Tasuki put his arm around her shoulders, it wasn't anything new for him, but this time it had been different. She couldn't explain how, it just was. And then to hear him talk to the other girls like that…it was almost as if he had been defending her from an attack. _Don't be silly, _Lani thought to herself. _If he had any feelings for you, he would have shown them before._ But Lani couldn't help but wonder if he did like her…and then she gave herself a mental shake. How could she be acting like this after what she had gone through? But she knew that the one thing she wanted right now was support, someone to be there for her. She knew she was lucky. She had nine such people right here on campus with her, and her mom had come to visit and tell her that her family still loved her very much. Lani couldn't help but feel that she would have gone crazy if her friends hadn't been there for her. She couldn't imagine facing this nightmare alone.

Lani was startled to find out that they had reached their classroom, and that the guys had indeed picked up breakfast for her. She munched quickly, hoping to finish before the teacher came in. No one really cared if you ate in the classrooms, but it was kind of hard to eat and take notes at the same time. She decided to go to the weight room after classes were finished. She had found out long ago that lifting weights was one of the best ways for her to forget about what was going on around her, even if it was only for an hour or so. She didn't realize that Tasuki was watching her throughout the class.


	7. Chapter 7

Suzaku vs. Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the manga or anime IS NOT MINE. Anything else you see is mine. Anyway, I'm really, really sorry about the long wait for this chapter. Two things hit at roughly the same time: writer's block, and summer semester, which means I'm away from my computer a lot these days. Forgive me, and thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the story. I love you guys!

Chapter 6

Tasuki had followed Lani around pretty much all day. Lani had been quiet, but had taken the usual twenty thousand notes for every hour. It was a running joke for the gang, because if any of them missed a class that she was in, they didn't have to worry about it. Lani pretty much got the lectures word-for-word anyway. It was good to see Lani catching up with the work she had missed, but at the same time, they could tell that she was getting worn out Miaka and Tamahome had decided to let her move in with them at the end of the semester, so she wouldn't face a fee for checking out of her dorm room early. Tasuki saw she was headed for her dorm, and ran to catch up. She started at first, but when she saw it was Tasuki, she smiled.

"Hey, two smiles in one day. I think we've got the old Lani back!" Lani laughed at him and playfully pushed him, making him stumble a step or two. "What's gotten into you? You were pretty down this morning."

"Tasuki, it's nothing. I'm just starting to get over this, that's all. The doctor told me that I'd have ups and downs for at least a few months, not just from grieving, but also from my hormones. All you guys need to do is bear with me until I settle down on what's now going to be normal with me." They had stopped walking while Lani had explained what was going on, and Lani turned to start walking again. Tasuki caught her wrist before she could take a step though.

"Lani, I just want you to know that I'm there for you. No matter what, I'll keep you safe."

"But what about the fight?" Tasuki looked at Lani blankly. "You know, the fight that you and the others swore to have with Seiryu's gang at the end of the semester? How will you protect me then, especially if you get hurt?" Lani gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant for the last bit to come out. _Great, now he's gonna run for the hills. Why'd I say a stupid thing like that?_ Lani started when she felt Tasuki's arms go around her in a hug from behind.

"Do you really worry about me that much?", he asked, his voice suddenly soft and wondering. Lani's breath caught as she turned around. Tasuki's eyes were wide, but then he grinned at her smugly. "Don't worry about me, ok? I'll be fine. Seiryu's gang are pushovers, it wouldn't take much to beat them. And you're forgetting that you're talking to a hockey player. I've been smashed into the boards more times than I can count, and never got hurt once. I'll be fine."

Lani looked up at him and nodded. "Come on, I wanna get a few things from my room. Care to work out a bit?" Tasuki nodded and smiled at her. He knew she'd be ok. As they set off again, neither one noticed that someone had been watching them from the corner of a building. By the time they got back, no one was there.

A couple of hours later, Lani was showering in the locker rooms, feeling reenergized from the work out. She and Tasuki had pushed and encouraged each other to try heavier weights and stay on the treadmill longer, until both had been too worn out to do anymore running. It had been a sort of competition for both of them, but they had been smart enough to stretch afterwards. Lani knew that if they didn't stretch, by morning their muscles would have been very sore.

She turned off the water and wrapped her towel around her. Stepping out of the shower, she walked over to the lockers to get her bag. She busied herself by pulling her clothes on, and was just about to put her shirt on when the door swung open and an older girl walked in. She walked over to Lani, who had just pulled her shirt down into place. "Hey there. Are you Lani?" Lani nodded. "I was wondering if I could hang out with you for a while. I'm here to visit my brother, and he's told me a lot about you."

Lani smiled at her. "Sure, I was thinking of going to get a smoothie at the student center. I'm just going to wait for Tasuki." The girl looked a little startled, but only for a moment.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you alone. You see, I'm Aidou. I'm Tasuki's sister."


	8. Chapter 8

Suzaku vs. Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: You recognize it, I don't own it. And do forgive me for not updating sooner. I've been working on another one, and I plan to start posting it right after this story gets finished. That, plus I'm taking summer classes, so I've been busy. But now I have plenty of free time, so I'm going to try to get a new chapter each week. But enough of that. Sit back and enjoy the chapter!

Amashi Tsukake: Thanks for the praise. I am simply trying to please my readers, and I'm glad it's working. The sister idea came up when I thought about how brothers tend to look out for their younger sisters, so I thought why not have Tasuki's sister checking out his potential girlfriends?

He-Yan: You're right, it's gonna get funky. Or at least I hope it will.

On with the story!

Chapter 7

Aidou caught Lani completely by surprise. "Hold on a sec. If you're Tasuki's sister and you've heard about me from your brother…" She blushed beet red. "Just how much has he told you about me?" Aidou grinned at her.

"Come with me to the food court. We'll talk on the way there." They left the locker room, and were just about to head out the door when Tasuki came out of the guy's locker room. He started after them, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his sister.

"Aidou! Ya didn't tell me you were comin'!"

"Tasuki! It's been far too long!" She grabbed him in a friendly head lock and started rubbing his head, messing up his hair.

"I saw ye last month. And quit messin' up my hair, it takes forever to get the tangles out!" Aidou let go of Tasuki while Lani watched the two, a small smile on her face. They reminded her of when she and her brother used to rough house with each other, until he got to strong for her. Tasuki was talking again now that he had been released. "Where were you goin' with Lani?"

"Food court. Wanna come with us?" Lani looked at her in surprise, but fortunately, Tasuki didn't notice.

"I'd love to join ya. I need some food anyway. And you can keep an eye on me and Lani while you're at it." Lani looked at Tasuki in surprise as he grinned at her. Aidou was looking sheepish. "She's been looking out for me since I came to college. Every time I've even mentioned a girl, she'd come out here and check her out." Aidou let out a cry of protest. "But don't worry. Just be yourself, an' she'll love ya as much as I do." With that, Tasuki headed off for the student center, where the food court was. He didn't notice that Aidou's jaw had dropped or that Lani was a very deep shade of red.

_I can't believe my kid brother actually said somethin' like that, especially in front of the object of his affections. Then again, the way he's been going on and on about her in his emails, I guess I really shouldn't be surprised. Just goes to show he's finally growing up._ She looked over at Lani, who was still red. _I wonder how she's taking this._

Lani on the other hand, was going a mile a minute with her thoughts. _Oh my god, oh my god, OMG! Did he actually say he loved me? No, it can't be. He must mean he loves me as a friend. But why would he tell his sister all about me? _Panic set in. _Did he tell her about what happened? If he did, I'm going to kill him. I don't want more people to know about it. _Lani felt like she was going to pass out. _How do I find out what he meant!_

Tasuki finally looked back and saw Lani's reaction to his words. He smirked to himself and waited for them to catch up. He fell in step with Lani, and just as she was about to ask him what he had meant, he put an arm around her shoulder. Lani squeaked and almost fell down in surprise, but he caught her. Aidou just looked on amused, and with a growing sense that Tasuki had finally gotten the right girl. They finally made it to the food court, where the rest of the gang was hanging out. Lani sat with her friends and looked down at the table, a faint blush on her cheeks.

Miaka was the one who was brave enough to ask what had happened. Before Lani could answer, though, Tasuki plopped down next to her, causing her to blush even more. That pretty much told the gang what was up, as well as the fact that Aidou was there. This was not the first time she had shown up, and they all knew the reason why she came at all. Apparently, Lani was passing with flying colors.

Not long after, the others wandered off to various classes or activities. The only ones who had nothing to do were Lani and Tasuki. Lani wasn't involved with any of the organizations on campus, and Tasuki had no practice since the hockey season had ended a month ago. Aidou had to catch up with other people, but she had offered to take the whole gang out for dinner that night. The offer had been snatched up.

Lani was downing the rest of her smoothie when Tasuki asked her if she wanted to go for a walk. "There's a really nice path down by the river where a lot of people go exercising, fishing, or just to feed the birds. I think it'd be just the thing for ya."

"I suppose you'll be coming along?"

"Yeah, I'll be doin' that." He gave her a grin that made her breath grow short. "We've got some stuff to talk about." Lani looked at him warily, but nodded and threw away her empty cup. She turned to him and smiled.

"Let's go. I feel like a change of scenery." Tasuki grinned. Lani had been in a pretty good mood since they had hit the weight room. He only hoped it would last. _If this keeps up, it could mean that she's gettin' over the miscarriage. The least I can do is to help her open up a bit, get her to see that it is possible to move on after someone you love dies. I should know; it was pretty hard for me when grandpa died._ He could still feel the numbness, even ten years later, of learning his grandpa had died suddenly of bone cancer. _If Lani's gone through even half of what I felt…I'm gonna have to make sure she never feels that way again._ He smiled to himself. He liked Lani, sure, but he was crazy to be thinking of wanting to be there the rest of her life. They walked down the river path, and soon came to a beautiful rest stop with a small bench and an excellent view of the river. Two swans floated off to the right, and a duck was feeding in the shallows.

Tasuki looked over at Lani, who had sat down on the bench. She was enjoying the view, but he could tell that something was bothering her. Tasuki decided to ask what was up.

"How much did you tell your sister about me?" The question came out fearful, as if she were afraid of what the answer might be. Tasuki smiled at her reassuringly.

"I didn't tell her about what happened, if that's what you're worried about." Lani's sigh of relief was clearly audible. "I did tell her about how you were smart, kind, funny, and not afraid to take me on in a shouting match. The last one really impressed her. She told me that it brought the number of people outside of the family who could do that to nine, that she knew of. The others are the gang, of course." Lani laughed; her first laugh since leaving the hospital. Tasuki's breath caught. She looked so pure, so innocent when she laughed like that. It was one of the things that had made him fall for her.

Lani turned to find him leaning on the back of the bench, his eyes staring at her, dark and questioning. Neither Lani nor Tasuki really thought about what happened next. Lani tipped her head back just as Tasuki leaned in closer. Their lips met, just briefly, before Lani pulled away with a gasp. Tasuki quickly walked around the bench and caught her in his arms before she could leave. She tried to push him away, only to have him pull her against him. Conceding defeat, she laid her head against his chest. Tasuki kissed the top of her head and then hugged her close.

"I told you that I'd always be there for you. You don't have to hide your feelings from me, ok? I know you care for me, just let the feeling grow on its own." He let her lean away from him, just enough to allow him to look her in the eye. "I don't wanna press anything right now, but I'd like to take ya out sometime. My roommate will be gone this weekend, so you could come over for dinner and a movie." He looked at her with a look that begged for her to accept the invitation. She smiled.

"I thought guys couldn't cook." Tasuki laughed and smiled back.

"No, but I do know a really good Chinese takeout place that has delivery service. And I do have a decent set of nice dishware that I use for special occasions. Whadda ya say?"

"I'd love to come over. Saturday good with you?" Tasuki nodded and smirked at her.

"We could even pretend that I'm a bandit and you're one of my unfortunate captives, if you wanted to. You don't have to though."

"I'll think about it." She wriggled in his arms, trying to get loose. "Let me go, ok? I think I'm about to fall over." Instead he pulled her so close, their noses almost touched.

"Not until I get my kiss." Lani's heart suddenly went on a marathon race but she tilted her head to the right. Tasuki's lips gently met hers, but suddenly he pressed them against hers, causing her mouth to open. His tongue slipped in, but only enough to contact hers. They broke apart when the need for air forced Lani to turn her head. Tasuki let go of her, but she stumbled and had to grab him for support. He grinned as she righted herself.

"Do you always kiss girls like that?"

"Nope. That kind of kiss is reserved only for my best girl." Lani, who was already blushing because of the kiss, turned an even darker shade of red at this statement. Tasuki turned serious next though. "I just have one favor to ask you." Lani nodded. "Don't mention the fight to my sis. We're really close, but she doesn't want me hurt any more than you do. Telling her would only worry her." Lani nodded, and they left the clearing. They got back to their usual table at the food court to find the rest of the gang already there. There were several raised eyebrows at them, but Lai and Tasuki sat down and began talking about the upcoming baseball game between their university and the university's arch rival.

Once again, sorry for the delay. I had a lot of studying to do, but it paid off (I got a B in History. Try doing that in the summer, where the courses only last four weeks) R&R, and you will get another chapter in about a week. Until then!


	9. Chapter 9

Suzaku vs Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: I don't own FY. I do, however, plan on making Tasuki do the "Bunny Hop" with Lani.

Tasuki: NANI!

Lani: Oh, come on, it could be fun.

Tasuki: running away NOOOOOOO!

Kristall: I always wanted to do that! Now on with the next chapter!

Chapter 8

Friday and Saturday passed in a blur for Lani. She'd been in a good mood, but there were times when she questioned the wisdom of going out, even with a close friend, so soon after the miscarriage. However, she didn't feel uncomfortable with the idea of having dinner with Tasuki, so on Saturday night at seven, she knocked on his door.

Tasuki opened the door with a smile, which quickly turned to a look of astonishment. Lani was wearing a pretty halter style dress which fell down to her calves. The dress was gathered in at the waist, and the skirt was loose, but still revealed the curves of her body. Lani giggled at his expression. "Do you like it?"

Tasuki quietly responded in an awestruck voice. "Like it? I love it." He swallowed nervously, and then his grin returned. "Come on in. I just ordered the food; it'll be here in twenty minutes." Lani smiled at him as he moved aside to let her pass. She had never visited his place before, and there were a few surprises. One was the family photo on the small table next to the couch. It showed Tasuki with his sisters, mother, and father. Seeing the photo, Lani could understand why he'd never gone out with anyone before. Five sisters in addition to a mom for the first eighteen years of life were enough females to satisfy any guy.

Tasuki watched as Lani took in his room. The dorm was in an old apartment complex that the school had taken over. In addition to the living room, there was a full kitchen, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. Tasuki was glad he had taken the extra time to clean up before Lani came over. Normally there would be books and cans lying about, as well as an occasional pizza box. Now, the floor and tables were clear, his books were stacked neatly on his desk in his room, and the tripping hazards were gone. He grinned. _Though I gotta admit, maybe I should have left those cans around. If she tripped, I would've had to catch her, and I'd have no problems with that!_ He quickly replaced his grin with a smug look as Lani finally turned to him. "So, what do ya think?"

"About the place or what you're wearing?"

"I meant the place, but I'd also like to hear about the outfit." Lani giggled as she looked at him shyly. His shirt had sleeves past his elbows, which were loose enough to allow him to move his arms easily. Lani didn't miss the way his shirt, while loose, tightened over his shoulders and back as he got out some sodas. His jeans showed off his legs to advantage, and yet were not indecent. He turned around, and grinned at her. "So?"

"I like both the place and the outfit."

"Do you like old fashioned Chinese outfits too?"

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"I have my sources." Tasuki didn't tell her he had gotten the info from her mom, back when Lani was still in the hospital. He had even gotten her size. "After the food's here, how'd you like to play dress up?"

"I'd love to!" Just then the doorbell rang. Tasuki opened the door, took the food, paid the man, and closed the door. He then set the food down, got out two plates, and served the food, making sure Lani got as much as she wanted. Tasuki set the plates down on the table, and then shook his head when Lani tried to sit down. He gestured for Lani to follow him to his room.

Lani refused, and Tasuki gave a sigh. "I thought you wanted to play dress up." Lani nodded her head. "Well, I've got the clothes, but you're gonna have to come in my room to try them on. I swear I won't do anything." Lani realized that he was trying to see how much she trusted him. _Well, showing me an outfit in his room isn't the worst thing that's ever happened to me. And this is TASUKI, not Seiryu or that other jerk. He'd never do anything I didn't want to do._ With this reassuring thought in her head, she followed Tasuki to his room, and gasped when she saw the beautiful, yet simple, pale blue dress Tasuki had spread out on his bed. Tasuki walked over to the closet and pulled out a pair of pants and boots. She then realized that he was already wearing the shirt of his outfit.

Lani gathered the dress in her arms, amazed that Tasuki had gone trough so much trouble. She said so aloud, making Tasuki grin. "It wasn't too much trouble. I just wanted to do somethin' nice for ya. Do you want to change here, or would you like to go to the bathroom?" Lani decided to go to the bathroom. Five minutes later, she came out and stopped dead in her tracks. Tasuki had put on the pants and boots, and now looked very much like a bandit from ancient China. She realized that he had done this on purpose, because not only did her dress fit perfectly, but she was dressed the way a more well to do peasant girl from ancient China would have dressed. Tasuki grinned at her, his fangs showing over his lower teeth.

"The food's gonna get cold if we don't eat it soon." His voice was low and husky, as if he was affected by her as much as she was affected by him. He led her to the table and though the food disappeared at a normal rate, they couldn't stop looking at each other.

Lani finished the last of her desert and leaned back with a sigh. Tasuki glanced over at her and silently cursed himself. The way she was stretching, leaning back with her arms over her head, feet pointed and her back arched, looked exactly as if she were getting a deep and passionate kiss. He sighed himself. _Shoulda known I'd have to put up with this. Damn she's hot! Makes me wanna take her right now._ He knew, however, that if he put his thoughts into actions that she'd never trust him again, or any other guy for that matter. Tasuki froze when Lani came over to his chair and knelt beside him. "What do you want to do now?" Her voice was slightly amused. She knew what he was going through right now. The nervous swallowing was a dead giveaway.

"I don't know. Movie?" Lani nodded, and then moved back so that he could stand up. She then let out a surprised gasp when he picked her up and slung her over his shoulders. "Well, if you wanna watch a movie, you gotta come with me to the hideout. And if you're wondering, you're now my captive." He grinned down at her, relieving her a bit. His "hideout" was simply his room, and all he expected her to do was sit next to him on the bed as they watched the movie.

The movie was rather long, but when it was over Tasuki started to get up to turn off the TV. He was stopped, though, by the realization that Lani had fallen asleep and was now leaning against his shoulder. Tasuki smiled. Carefully, he turned so that he could lay her down on the bed. Then, after loosening her clothing so that she would be more comfortable, he left the room. Tasuki pulled some light blankets out of the closet and made up another bed on the couch. Within minutes he was asleep as well.

A/N: Like it? Love it? Hate it? Want more? Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Suzaku vs Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: I don't own FY. Never have and probably never will. I need to work on it.

Tasuki: Just as long as you don't make me do the "Bunny Hop".

Lani: What about a tango?

Tasuki: jumps NO! And how'd you pop up like that?

Lani: Chichiri's been giving me lessons.

Tasuki: CHICHIRI!

Chichiri: Nani, no da?

Tasuki: Aww, never mind. Just make sure Lani doesn't scare me again.

Chichiri: What's the fun in that, no da?

Tasuki: You…you…Chichiri goes chibi and runs off. Tasuki follows GET BACK HERE YA LITTLE SQUIRREL!

Kristall: sweatdrops Oh dear. Looks like I need to go calm them down. Please read away while I handle this. takes off after the guys

Chapter 9

Lani murmured in her sleep and rolled over a bit. There was no alarm going off, but the sun was shining in her face. _Oh yeah, today's Sunday. I don't turn on my alarm for today._ She rolled over again so that the sun was no longer in her face. She then proceeded to bury her face in her pillow. _Man, my pillow smells nice. Kinda smells like ginger or some other spice. Maybe nutmeg…wait a sec! I use lavender on my sheets!_ With that thought, she sat up abruptly to find herself in an unfamiliar room. She looked down and saw the Chinese dress. Then memories of last night came back. _I was having dinner with Tasuki, and then we watched a movie. But I don't remember the movie ending; I must have fallen asleep. That would mean that…_ "Morning Sunshine!"

Lani jumped as Tasuki greeted her from the door. "It's about time you woke up! It's almost noon. I've got some food out here if you're hungry, and your clothes are on the dresser." Lani thanked him and blushed. She realized that he had folded her clothes and laid them out for her. She wondered what he had thought of her underwear…_No! Do not think of things like that. He probably was shuddering the whole time he had to touch them! _Shaking her head, Lani got out of bed and started to get dressed. She wondered what her host was thinking about.

_Man, I didn't know she wore Victoria's Secret underwear and bras. I hope she wears them all the time…No! Snap out of it! _Tasuki sighed to himself. _Maybe I should take her shopping…NO YOU IDIOT! She can pick out her own undergarments. You are not to get involved! That's personal stuff remember? PERSONAL!_ "Tasuki?" Tasuki nearly jumped out of his skin at the gentle touch of Lani's hand on his shoulder. He grinned sheepishly at Lani.

"Sorry, you just startled me. Would you like pizza or a sandwich?"

"Pizza would be great! It's been too long since I had some."

"Sit down and I'll get you some." Tasuki walked into the kitchen and pulled a box from the fridge. "You fell asleep last night before the movie ended. How late have you been staying up?"

"Later than I should. I've got my Economics midterm next week."

"Midterms are already here?" Lani nodded. "Man, no wonder I always find the gang in the library these days."

"You mean you haven't studied?"

"I have, just in my own way. I look at my notes after class, and then go over the notes from that week every Friday. That way, it really stays in my head." Lani looked at him in disbelief. "What?"

"You mean to say that you actually have a mature stand towards studying? Wow."

"Aww, come on! Just because I don't really have a major declared and I like to hang out doesn't mean I'm not serious about grades. I do want to pass my classes, in case you hadn't noticed."

Lani gave a small laugh. "I know, I know. I'm just teasing you. I've never seen you this way, that's all."

"Yeah, well, it's also partly my coach's fault. He's said that we are welcome to play, but he doesn't want us using the team to get out of studying."

"Good for him. So where's that pizza?"

"You want it; you'll have to get through me first." Lani laughed and playfully pushed at him, surprised when he caught her arms. "Come on, I know you've got more than that." he playfully challenged her. Lani smirked at him.

"I sure do." Without warning, she relaxed in his arms and fell forward, landing with her lips on his. Tasuki gulped, but returned the kiss. Lani managed to turn them around. Now all she had to do was get free. She tried to wriggle out of his arms, but Tasuki had caught on by now. Somehow, every time she managed to get on arm free, he grabbed her other arm. She didn't realize that he was backing her up until she felt the wall against her back.

"Do you surrender?"

"Never." Tasuki grinned at her, making her heart flip.

"Good. This will make things more interesting." He pulled back suddenly. "Of course, this means that I get the pizza."

"Why you…!" Lani tried to get him away from the microwave where the pizza was, but it was no use. Tasuki grabbed the pizza and headed for the dining room, Lani hot on his heels. "Gimmie my pizza!"

"Here." Tasuki held out a slice to her. She tried to take it, but he shook his head. "Just eat it." Lani gulped as she suddenly understood. Again, another trust test. She leaned forward and took a bite. Soon, the pizza was gone, Tasuki having fed each slice to her. He grinned and then pulled out a small thing of banana nut bread, another one of her favorites. Again he held it out. This time it was Lani who shook her head.

"Could I get more…comfortable?" There was a pause before the last word, but Tasuki didn't notice.

"Sure." He said it lightly, expecting her to shift in her chair or sit on the floor. He did NOT expect her to sit in his lap. "Uh, Lani?"

"Just shut up and feed me." The words were spoken softly and with humor, taking all of the sting out of them. Tasuki complied with her request.

Tasuki and Lani soon announced to the rest of the gang that they were now going steady. That was two months ago and now there was only one week left in the semester. Tasuki had gone to the mall alone today; he wanted to do some private shopping. He looked over the displays, sighing. None of the rings before him looked right. "May I help you sir?"

Tasuki looked up to find a saleswoman standing next to him. "Yes please. I'm looking for a ring. A special ring."

"Any particular requests?" She was now looking at the display too.

"I'd like one with three stones, middle one larger than the side ones, on a simple gold band."

"What kind of stones?"

"Emerald. Her birthday's in May." The saleswoman smiled at him.

"We've got one just like that. Please come with me." She led him to a different counter, one he hadn't noticed. She unlocked the cabinet, and took out the ring. She handed it too him. "It just so happens that this cabinet is on sale right now for half price. These are items we've had for so long we need to clear them out to make room for new stock." Tasuki looked at the price.

"So, instead of being eighty dollars it's forty?"

"Plus tax." Tasuki smiled at her and said he'd take it. He hid the small sack in his pocket and left the store. Just as he was walking past an ice cream shop, he heard someone call out his name and turned around. Lani was standing there, along with Miaka and the others in the gang.

"There you are! We're about to go to dinner. Wanna come?"

"Sure. Let's go somewhere fancier this time, ok? I'll pay."

"Alright, what's up with you?" Suzaku was suspicious enough to speak up. Tasuki never offered to pay for dinner, and almost never came to the mall.

"One, I just got paid by the league. Two, I want tonight to be special." Lani hugged him.

"Why?" Tasuki laughed.

"You'll see."

The gang went to a very nice restaurant, and had a wonderful meal. Normally they would have had hamburgers and fries, but this time they had seafood. Lani wondered what was up. Tasuki never behaved nicely unless he was up to something. She didn't have to wait long though.

After dinner, Tasuki made sure that he and Lani were at the back of the group when they left. He pulled Lani back, causing the group to walk ahead a bit. "Tasuki? What's going on? We should catch up…" Tasuki cut her off.

"Lani may I ask you something?" She nodded. "Look, I know I've not known you for long. We met only four months ago, at the beginning of this semester. I know that's not long, but I feel as if we have been together far longer. You know what I mean?"

Lani nodded. "I feel like I've known you for years."

Tasuki flushed. He was nervous, but he was going to do this. He held her hand in his, and suddenly got down on one knee. Lani gasped. "What I wanted to ask you was this." He looked up into Lani's wide eyes and smiled. Neither one noticed that the others had come looking for them and were now staring at the sight before them. "Will you marry me?" He held up his hand, showing her the ring he had bought just hours ago.

Lani could hardly breathe. "Tasuki!" The joy in her voice said it all. He stood up in time to catch her in an embrace and kiss her. Then he shyly took her left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. Suddenly they heard people clapping to their left. The rest of the gang had seen everything. Lani and Tasuki were now both very red, but happy as their friends came around to congratulate them.

Miaka, of course, went for the gold. "When's the wedding?" The others all laughed, even Tasuki and Lani. "What? What'd I say?"

"I only just asked her. I don't even have a clue as to when we'll be married. What do you think Lani?"

"I think that it should wait a while, until I've graduated. After that, I'll have plenty of time to enjoy getting married." Tasuki smiled at her. Suzaku elbowed Chichiri.

"I think that those two are going to be completely out of it for a while." Chichiri nodded, and then turned. Amiboshi and Suboshi were walking up to the group.

"We have a message for you guys." Suboshi spoke in a hard tone, but both boys looked uncomfortable. "Seiryu wants Suzaku to pick the time and place for the fight. He says he'll show up." Suzaku thought for a moment.

"In the park across from the university. We'll meet at nine in the evening the day after exams finish. Both gangs can come, but they do not have to join unless they want to." Amiboshi quickly made a call on his cell phone.

"Seiryu says that's fine with him. Even the bit about the gangs. We'll be seeing you." With that, the twins walked off, leaving the others in silence. The silence was broken only when Suzaku said that they'd better get home.

Kristall: panting You guys…have got…to calm down.

Chichiri and Tasuki: glare daggers at each other

Seiryu: Looks like I may not have to fight after all. You'll beat each other up for me.

Chichiri and Tasuki: glow red

Seiryu: Uh oh. takes off with Tasuki and Chichiri after him

Kristall: gets huge sign that says STOP What does this sign say?

All three guys: Stop.

Kristall: Right. to readers Finally! Another chapter written and it's almost time for the end! I hope you all review, your input (plus my brand new FY DVDs) are my inspiration!


	11. Chapter 11

Suzaku vs Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: I still don't own FY. If I did, I'd be engaged to Tasuki!

Tasuki: NANI!

Kristall: get all teary eyed and sniffs Tasuki doesn't love me!

Tasuki: goes red

Chichiri: You shouldn't make Kristall dry, na no da. turns to Kristall Here, let's go get you some hot chocolate. walks off with Kristall

Tasuki: Huh? Hey get back here! heads off after them Man, I didn't think Chichiri'd go for her. I better keep an eye on them.

Kristall: WHAT WAS THAT?

Tasuki: Uh…nothing. sweatdrops Would you like some Nilla Wafers with your drink?

Kristall: glomps Tasuki I'd love that! to readers Enjoy this chapter! happily starts snacking

Chapter 10

Lani was in no mood to go to her dorm, so Tasuki let her come over for a while. His roommate was staying late at the library these days, since he was about to graduate, and had told Tasuki to bring her over anytime. Tasuki had taken him at his word. As they were sitting on the couch, Lani started trembling. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Tasuki, I know that you said you would be alright, but I'm worried. I'm afraid you'll get hurt if you fight. I couldn't stop him, how could you?" Tasuki knew she was thinking of what had happened to her with Seiryu. He smiled and pulled her into his arms, so that she was leaning back against his chest.

"Don't worry. For one thing, I know that there will be people trying to hurt me, so I'll be looking for an attack or three. Second, I'm stronger than you were, and I have experience in martial arts as well. Third," and here he hugged her tightly and kissed her head. "Third, I have you. That's going to give me even more strength, knowing you love me."

"But what if you're hurt?"

"Hush. I already told you, I'll be fine. So hush, ok?" Lani sighed and nodded. She felt Tasuki loosen his grip, and she turned over so that she could see his face. He was smiling.

"Tasuki, promise me you won't kill him."

"What?"

"Seiryu. Promise me you won't kill him. Please."

"Sure thing, but why?"

Lani's voice hardened. "I have my own plans for him." Tasuki was curious, but he didn't press the matter. Lani was down right devious when she wanted to be. If she had something up her sleeve, she would reveal it only when she felt the time was right.

Suzaku stopped in his tracks when he heard his name called. Turning, he saw the sergeant of the campus police. Suzaku groaned to himself. Seiryu had been bragging about how he was going to whip him, and of course the police had heard. The sergeant was probably going to tell him to back out. "Hey there. How'd you like a soda? It's on me."

"Sure." _Oh great, now I'm in really big trouble. Only time he buys drinks is when he is going to get some info._ Suzaku accepted his drink and looked at the sergeant as he sat down. "Ok, what's really up?"

"I know about your agreement with Seiryu. It won't be on campus, will it?" Suzaku shook his head. "Good." He winked at Suzaku. "Even if it's across the street we'll turn a blind eye. Still, just keep it as short as you can. I don't want the city cops getting you or your friends." Suzaku smiled in relief.

"Unfortunately, it's going to last until we can barely stand anymore. However, I did choose a place shielded from the street. The city cops would have to get out of their cars and walk for a bit to see what's happening."

"Still, be careful. I don't like the way Seiryu's been acting. Keep your cool, and you'll be ok."

"Thanks serge. I'll see you around."

"Just as long as it's not in the hospital." Suzaku nodded and walked off. He had promised to meet the gang at the library so that they could all study for the History final they were taking together.

The week of finals flew by in a rush. At the start of the week, everyone felt like the week would never end, but Friday came around, causing students around campus to celebrate. Many went to the party that was held on the last day of finals. A bonfire was always lit, and it was tradition that students toss at least one page of notes into the fire. Many even offered to lend all their notes from that semester to get the fire started. The event was always patrolled by the police, and a hose was always kept on hand just in case.

Tasuki, Lani and the others partied a bit, but left early. They knew that the fight was less than a day away, and they wanted to prepare themselves for it. Lani said goodbye to Tasuki as he dropped her off at her dorm room and watched until he was gone. Then she left to return the call she had gotten earlier. She talked for a long time on the phone, and when she finally got off, she was smiling. She went to bed soon after.

The next day passed in a haze for most of the gangs. Amiboshi, Suboshi, Mitsukake, Chiriko, and the girls had all decided not to fight, but they would show up. Lani told Tasuki that she just wanted to rest that day. "I don't feel too good. I just want this to be over." She gave a small smiled when Tasuki hugged her gently.

"You get some rest. Do you want me to get you when it's time?"

"No. I'll be fine on my own. I promise to stay away from the actual fighting, ok?" Tasuki just hugged her again and left. He couldn't help worrying, but he knew that she'd be alright. Grinning to himself, he went to the rink. Skating was the best way for him to unwind.

Nine o'clock found the gangs walking up to the park. Lani was the only one not there. Tasuki silently let out a 'thank you' to whatever force had kept Lani from coming. Despite his relaxing skating session and his assurances to Lani that he wouldn't get hurt, he was worried. He knew that the Seiryu gang was also good in martial arts. He remembered once going over the membership and rank list for the place where he and the gang studied martial arts. All of the guys in Seiryu's gang were members, and all had received a high rank. None of them were black belts, like Suzaku was, but they weren't far off. Tasuki himself was not a black belt, but he was just two belts below that honor. He grinned. His schedule was pretty hectic sometimes, but the martial arts gave him the advantage of agility and strength; both were critical to the game he loved.

Seiryu and Suzaku walked up to each other. The others who would fight stood behind their leaders. Chichiri announced that he would not fight as well, leaving the fighters evenly matched in numbers. The ones not fighting sat at opposite ends of the clearing, watching as Seiryu launched a punch at Suzaku. Soon, the others had joined in.

Tasuki dodged a blow from Nakago, and retaliated with a right hook. That was blocked, and suddenly a foot snaked around his to trip him. Anticipating the move, Tasuki jumped, kicking out as he did so. Nakago fell back as the kick landed on his jaw. Tasuki landed and grinned. He had gotten the first blow. On the ice, that would have given him a huge advantage. Here, it just gave him a few moments to plan his next move. Nakago then came in with a head butt, which caught Tasuki in the chest. He took a few steps back, and then feinted, trying to catch Nakago off guard. The trick worked, and he landed a right hook on Nakago's jaw. Nakago went down, hard. Tasuki took the opportunity to lift up Nakago by his collar, and for good measure, sent a fist straight into Nakago's face. Nakago went down; his nose bleeding from the broken nose Tasuki had given him. Before Tasuki could hit him again, Nakago went off to the side lines, signaling he was out of the fight.

Looking around, Tasuki saw that for the most part, his gang had won. The other fighters were breaking up, Seiryu's side the worse for the wear. Suddenly it hit Tasuki. Seiryu's gang had not prepared for the fight. He knew for a fact that the guys in Seiryu's gang were all either at, or above, the level of martial arts that the Suzaku gang was at. However, that made no difference if they didn't practice their moves to keep their reflexes and attacks sharp. Suzaku and the others, on the other hand, practiced at least twice a week, and had stepped up the practices to everyday during finals week. He turned to Suzaku, expecting to see Suzaku grinning at him and signaling the fight was over. What he saw, however, stole the warmth out of his body.

He understood now, why Lani had been so worried about the fight. He stared in shock as Suzaku was pounded, again and again, barely given enough time to recover. He couldn't believe how dirty Seiryu was fighting. It seemed like he knew every foul move in the book, plus a few he had come up with. For instance, the knee to the gut coupled with a chop at the neck. How Suzaku evaded the neck blow would forever be a mystery, but he went down hard. Before he could get up, Seiryu kicked him in the side. Suzaku was lifted up and landed several feet away, right in front of Tasuki.

A blind rage started to fill Tasuki. He had always been taught to fight hard, but clean. He had never beaten an opponent unfairly. And he could see now how Lani had underestimated Seiryu. He himself had known Seiryu for two years, and yet he had never seen this side of him. He couldn't believe that the person in front of him was the same man. Tasuki stepped over Suzaku, who had started to get up. Tasuki didn't hear the others calling him, begging him to stop. Tasuki finally spoke, his voice deadly low. "So that's why Lani couldn't beat you. That's why she warned me. You're the lowest fighter I've ever met." Fire burned in his eyes as he glared at Seiryu. Not expecting this chain of events, or the anger that had flared up in Tasuki, Seiryu took a step back. Tasuki gave a growl of disgust. "I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to Lani." Seiryu's eyes widened as he realized just what fueled Tasuki's anger. By then it was too late. Tasuki had tackled him to the ground and was now giving out punch after punch. Tasuki didn't even notice when his friends came up next to him until one grabbed his arm.

"Tasuki, STOP! The police are here!" Tasuki jumped off of Seiryu and tried to run off, but then he saw Lani. She was the one who had brought the police. But why? The entire group was asked to come with the police. Everyone complied, Seiryu only because he was barely conscious, and piled into the two vans they had brought. An ambulance pulled up and Seiryu was loaded into it. They drove to the hospital and were led into a private waiting room.

The two gangs were staying away from each other. Suzaku's side was worried about Suzaku. He had passed out on the way there and had been admitted. The others had various injuries which were treated quickly. Finally, a nurse said they could all come to the room where Suzaku and Seiryu were resting. Once they got there, the group was surprised to see the police officer walk over to Seiryu and ask him his name. "The name's Seiryu, Seiryu Longwei. Why do you ask?"

The officer's face was grim. "You are now under arrest for sexual assault against a minor, as well as evading arrest."

Kristall: Well there you have it!

Tasuki: Feeling better now?

Kristall: Yep! whispering Now I just need to figure out how to get Tasuki on his own…

Tasuki: What was that?

Kristall: jumps Nothing! smiles innocently Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

Suzaku vs Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: For the last time, I do NOT own FY. I do, however, own these disclaimers.

Tasuki: So that's how you get away with stuff in this part of the story.

Kristall: innocently Why Tasuki, where is Chichiri?

Tasuki: grumbling He ran off. Why? You're not thinking of runnin' away with him, are ya?

Kristall: innocently How'd you guess?

Tasuki: speechless

Kristall: to readers I love messing with him. I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Also, this chapter is dedicated to the most wonderful KittyLynne for acting as beta for me! Thank you so much!

Chapter 11

A silence filled the room as the weight of what the policeman had said sank in. Seiryu's friends were speechless, while Suzaku's gang all looked at Lani in shock. She couldn't have been mad enough to call the police, could she? Lani knew exactly what they were thinking, but she would only look at Seiryu. She was waiting for what he would say.

Everyone started when Seiryu laughed. "When did I ever supposedly do such a preposterous thing?" Lani's hands shook before she curled them into fists. She walked over to Seiryu.

"So you forgot about me? Forgot about how you cheated on me with that girl who turned out to be a slut? Forgot about how I found out about how you were cheating on me? Forgot how you started hitting me when I confronted you? Forgot about how you raped me to try to put me in my place for daring to question you? Forgot how you ran before I was even awake, so that I could never reveal you for the monster you are?" She stepped even closer to the bed, somehow restraining herself from attacking the guy. Tasuki wondered how she managed it.

When Lani spoke again, her voice was low and cold. Enough so that everyone shivered. "I have not forgotten. I haven't forgotten the pain and humiliation you put me through." She stepped back. "I knew that the police back home still had a warrant for your arrest. When I found out who you were, I contacted them. I asked them how it would be possible for them to pick you up. They said that they alone could do nothing, but that they could work with the police here to do something." Lani smirked. "They contacted the police here, who then got in touch with me."

Seiryu interrupted her at this point. "All that work, just to see me behind bars? What was the point?" At this, Lani walked forward again. She leaned over him, knowing that he dared not touch her.

"I did this for a good reason. It was actually your cheating that was your downfall." Seiryu gasped, but said nothing. "I believe you remember Sanya?" Seiryu's eyes widened, and he nodded. "She was my roommate. I came home one day to find her crying her eyes out. Her clothes were torn, and she had several bruises that were starting to turn dark. She told me what you did to her. How you beat her, and then raped her. I was determined to keep your filthy hands off of any other girl silly enough to fall for you." She straightened. "I did this for every girl that you hurt, plus any girls you would have hurt." Lani turned and left the room. On the outside, she had been calm and collected, but on the inside, she had wanted to slap Seiryu as hard as she could. She started when someone caught up to her and turned to find Tasuki looking at her.

"How long have you been working on this?" She smiled as he hugged her, allowing her to release her anger on him in the form of a death grip hug around his waist.

"About a two months. I had to go at the police pace, but the police here wouldn't cooperate until Sanya was raped by the same guy."

"How long ago was that?"

"A week. He had offered to study with her for Biology and one of the topics they were going to be tested on was reproduction. Seiryu decided to have a "practical" study session, not just theory." Tasuki felt sick. No wonder Lani had gone to the police. The world would be much safer with Seiryu behind bars.

The Seiryu gang left the room shortly after Lani did. They were stunned at the revelation that their leader and friend was a rapist. Nakago couldn't believe that he had trusted Seiryu with Soi. Who knows what could have happened to her? Soi herself felt lucky that Seiryu had never tried anything on her. She also felt sorry for Lani now. She could not imagine having to go through what she had gone through. They went to the waiting room and sat down, lost in their own thoughts. They also kept some space between them and Lani and Tasuki. Just because peace had been unofficially declared for the two groups didn't mean that they trusted each other.

Tomo, Miboshi, and Ashitare were lost in their own thoughts as well. They were all stunned at the revelation of their friend's true nature. No matter how much they liked teasing the freshmen students, they would never really do anything mean to them. Or to anyone else for that matter. They couldn't believe that they had considered a rapist their friend. They passed Lani and Tasuki without a word and left the hospital.

Amiboshi and Suboshi stayed, but only because Amiboshi wanted to talk to Suzaku. Suzaku surprised his friends a bit by joking around with the two, but then again, it wasn't all that much of a surprise. Amiboshi had always been the most likely one to get along with Suzaku's group, and Suboshi tended to behave himself more when Amiboshi was around. It also helped that the three shared a class, and that Amiboshi was nice enough to offer to give Suzaku the homework while he was out of class. Suboshi was starting to figure out that Suzaku was a lot cooler than Seiryu had told them. He snorted to himself, causing Suzaku and Amiboshi to look at him. "Sorry. I'm just still finding it hard to believe that I actually listened to Seiryu."

"I'm not surprised." The group turned to find Lani and Tasuki standing in the doorway. Nakago and Soi had gone home to have supper. Lani went on, ignoring the puzzled looks around her. "Seiryu was a master manipulator. Smooth enough to fool anyone, even some of my very un-gullible family members. He could easily fool anyone he wanted. The only reason why I found out he was cheating on me was because I ran into his girlfriend. It was a chance meeting, but when we started talking, we figured out we were dating the same person. She didn't care he was still seeing me, but I was livid. I went to his place to confront him and…" She paused, feeling a bit sheepish. "Well, you know what happened after that."

Tasuki finally noticed that the other bed in the room was empty. "Where's Seiryu?"

"They moved him to a different room. I think it's a high security room, seeing as how he's a criminal." Suzaku's voice held a great deal of disdain for Seiryu.

"Lani and I are going to go eat. Would Amiboshi and Suboshi like to come?" Tasuki grinned at Suzaku. "I promise to bring something back for you, Suzaku, if it's allowed." Suzaku smiled his thanks.

"Unfortunately, with the injuries I received, I'm not allowed to have anything solid just yet. I'm going to be on the IV for a day or two, but after that, they said I could get you guys to bring me stuff. I'll have to pass this time." Suzaku grinned. "You can be assured that I will take takeout any time over hospital food. The others laughed and headed out the door, saying goodbye. Tasuki, like Suzaku was wiling to strike a shaky truce with Amiboshi and his brother. He, and Lani especially, could not forget that the two had put aside their rivalry to help Lani when she really needed it. For that reason, he had offered to treat the two. Amiboshi and Suboshi declined the offer.

"Thanks for the offer," said Amiboshi. "However, we'd better get back home. We'll see you in class tomorrow." Tasuki was in the same class that Suzaku shared with Amiboshi and Suboshi. The campus was a small one, so it had been impossible for the two groups to completely avoid each other. However, they had sat on opposite sides of the room. Lani hoped, as she walked down the street with Tasuki, that relations between the two groups would start to improve. She knew that it had been Seiryu who had generated the rivalry, even though no one had told her. Now with the problem removed, maybe it would lead to peace for everyone involved. She hugged Tasuki's arm as they continued down the street.

Kristall: That was fun!

Tasuki: Are you really going to run away with Chichiri?

Kristall: What gave you that idea? tries to hide laughter

Tasuki: You did! glares You were just messing with me though, weren't you?

Kristall: sighing I can never hide anything from you! glomps him

Tasuki: GET OFF YOU BAKA ONNA!

Kristall: refusing to let go Please review! There's probably one more chapter, and definitely an epilogue! Later!


	13. Chapter 13

Suzaku vs Seiryu

By: Kristall

Kristall: Man, it feels so good to have inspiration again! I know it's been a long time, but unfortunately, my muse and I were both dealing with a bad case of writer's block, combined with school for me. Well, school, two jobs, my daughter, and three regular activities, plus a few things that came up and have occupied the rest of my spare time. It's also hard to continue the story after a climax; writing the hospital scene left me drained when I had finished. Thanks to all of my readers who have waited so patiently (or maybe not). This chapter is dedicated to you all.

Tasuki: Will ya just get on with the chapter already??!

Kristall: Sorry Tasuki! And the italics are for the video. You'll have to read to find out what I'm talking about!

Chapter 12

Lani had decided to stay in the dorms, but had asked for a room change. She was now unpacking her suitcase. Her things had already been moved in, so her clothes were the only things left to put away. She had just finished getting her underwear safely into her drawer when she heard a knock on the outer door. The room was like a small suite, with two tiny bedrooms opening off from an equally tiny living room. There was just enough space for the bed, a desk, and a closet. Her small dresser had gone into the closet, and a small bookshelf contained her favorite novels. It wasn't much, but a toy net overhead to hold her stuffed animal collection, in addition to the books, lent a sense of home to the room. Lani went and opened the door after a second knock. Outside was a student who had been assigned to help the students moving in find their rooms. Next to her was Soi.

Lani smiled at both and moved aside to let them in. She was wondering how on earth Soi had wound up as her roommate, but she could find out later. After the student helper left, Soi dumped her stuff onto her bed. Lani had followed her to the door. "What is it?" asked Soi. The question was not accusing, but genuinely interested in what kept Lani at the door.

Lani smiled at Soi. "I wanted to know if you wanted help putting your things away. I'm almost done unpacking, and I wouldn't mind."

Soi looked amazed for an instant, and then broke out laughing. "Yeah, I could use some help. I'm no good at organizing stuff, and I usually bring way too much. I'd like some help." Lani grinned back. As soon as she had seen Soi, she had known that if this semester was to go well, she would need to start off on the right foot. Somehow, Lani had always had a knack for knowing how to get along with people. She just hadn't really put it to use over the last semester on the former members of Seiryu's gang.

An hour later, Soi and Lani had managed to put all of their things away, had the TV on, and Lani was explaining the rules of hockey to Soi. They would have gone on like this for the rest of the game if it weren't for the knock on the door. Lani again answered. Tasuki was in the hall with Suzaku. Both were surprised to see Soi there, but were wise enough to not mention it. "We're on our way to get lunch. Would you two like to join us?" Suzaku did not need to fake the offer. He had been working over the break to get the two gangs to agree on a cease-fire. Basically, an agreement to not hate each other's guts was what he was after, but being friends with each other would be even better.

Lani agreed, but Soi had already made lunch plans with Nakago. As Lani walked down the hall with the guys, she could almost feel the holes their thoughts were boring into her head. "Look guys, Soi's my roommate now. So please try to be nice around her, ok?" She was looking straight at Tasuki when she said this. "Remember, she didn't want to fight in the showdown." Tasuki grinned at her.

"Don't worry, I won't forget. Actually, I could see the skill that Nakago had; for all that he hadn't practiced in a while. And remember, I am NOT a dirty fighter. Sneaky at times, but I don't cheat." They exited the building then and went to Tasuki's car. They were meeting up with the gang at a nearby restaurant, and had agreed to hold a small, and somewhat late, Christmas party afterwards at Miaka and Tamahome's apartment.

They chatted while they ate, getting news about each other's families. Lani and Tasuki decided to wait until they were at the party to relate what had happened over their break. The group sat down around the living room, and Miaka served peach iced tea to everyone. As she sat down, Chichiri spoke up. "Ok, let's hear how Christmas with Tasuki's family went." Tasuki promptly burst out laughing with the memory while Lani swatted him gently over the head.

"Well, the drive down there was pleasant. Just me and Tasuki for three hours, and some really spectacular mountain scenery. When we pulled in, Aidou was in the front yard shoveling the sidewalk. Tasuki got out and took over, while Aidou helped me get the luggage in. She was the only one there, as well as Tasuki's baby sister. The rest of the family had gone shopping for a few last minute things. They were going to have their Christmas a day early so that Tasuki and I could go to my family for Christmas day. Or at least that's the story we were told. It turned out that Tasuki's aunt and uncle run a hotel in their town, and they closed it so that my family could stay there. That way, we had a huge Christmas party, held in the ballroom basement of the hotel, and we were able to introduce everyone in my family to everyone in his family at once."

Tasuki jumped in at this point. "Actually, it was partly my idea. I knew that my aunt and uncle had a hotel not far from my parent's house, and I thought it would be nice to have your parents visit my family as well. I told my mom, and gave her your mom's number. It must have been those two who came up with having the entire family over there and not just your parents."

Lani beamed at him. She hadn't known that the surprise had been his idea, even if it had gotten blown out of proportion. Lani then went on. "Well, we were all getting ready to have Christmas dinner when I felt something grab my leg. Looking down", and here Lani started chuckling, "I saw Tasuki's baby sister. She had grabbed onto my leg and was now hugging it in a death grip. She had been playing with me earlier, and had not wanted to stop." Here Lani started laughing so hard she couldn't talk. Tasuki soon told them why.

"Lani's not kidding when she says my kid sister had a death grip on her leg. It took me, Aidou, AND my older cousin to get her off of Lani." The entire group started laughing at this, now understanding. The sight of two grown men and a woman trying to pry an eight month old baby off of Lani's leg would have been a sight to see. Still laughing, Lani held up a video tape. She and Tasuki, thankfully, had discussed this beforehand.

"You guys want to see the tape?" There was a chorus of "YES", followed by Lani inserting the tape into the VCR. The clip started with the baby clinging to Lani and her trying to get the baby off.

"_Tasuki, would you give me a hand here?"_

"_I think that she likes ya."_

"_Please Tasuki?"_

"_Ok. Come on kid, time to let us grownups eat." He tried to pull her off of Lani's leg, only to realize that he had forgotten to take into account that the baby's legs were wrapped around Lani's. He started to disentangle them, only to find that the baby's arms were back where they were, holding on even tighter. _

"_Oi, Aidou! Give me a hand here, would ya?" Aidou walked over and held one arm while Tasuki worked on the other arm. They then found that the baby's legs were back where they had been. Tasuki's cousin stepped in._

"_Aidou, you keep the lower baby half occupied. I'll get the first arm, Tasuki you get the second one." They each did as they were told, and finally Lani stepped free. This only made the baby cry. Lani turned around and picked up the baby. She went over to a rocking chair, and within seconds of the rocking starting up, the baby fell asleep._

As the video ended, the laughter finally died down enough that tissues could be passed around to wipe the tears that had formed in everyone's eyes. Even Chiriko, the most serious of the group, had tears streaming down his cheeks from laughing so hard. Hotohori voiced everyone's opinion.

"That has got to be the funniest video I have ever seen in my life!" The others nodded, and then it was time for presents. Before the break, they had drawn names to see who they would give presents to. Everyone drew two names, and no one could draw the same name twice. For the second drawing, the name the person already had was taken out. Then, over the break, they would go out and buy gifts for the two people they had drawn, with a spending limit of twenty dollars per gift. It was a good system for them, especially since they were in college. The gifts were placed randomly on the coffee table and then Miaka, as hostess, handed them out. Soon everyone was exclaiming over the gifts they got. Lani got a book she had really wanted from Chiriko and a pair of earrings from Nuriko. She smiled as Tasuki opened her gift to him. He smiled as the last wrapping fell away. She had given him a new pair of skate laces and a jar of leather softener so that he could keep his skates in top condition.

Lani sighed as she exited the classroom. The semester had flown by, as they usually did, and it was the last day of classes. She and Soi had gotten along very well as the semester had progressed, and now Nakago was starting to warm up to her as well. Both gangs were taking summer classes, so they would see each other often. Tomo and Miboshi were still a little distant, but they had started to join in the study groups that Suzaku offered. These sessions really helped, not just for studying, but for bringing the two groups together. They had managed to reach an agreement to not fight each other again. Now they were free to slowly build up a friendship between the two groups. Amiboshi and Suboshi were already good friends by now; the others would take longer before they too were acting friendly.

Lani couldn't believe how time had flown. It was four years after she had come to college, and she was about to graduate. The two gangs, now as friendly with each other as they were with everyone else, were graduating as well. Lani had taken some hard course loads to catch up to the others, but she knew it had been worth it. She looked around, trying to find her friends. Chichiri was closest, a few seats to her left. He caught her looking and grinned at her, she smiled back. Then the walking started. As each name was called, the graduates walked across the stage, received their diploma, shook hands with the dean of students and the university president, and then went back to their seats. When Tasuki's name was called, she saw that he was smiling. Not grinning or smirking, he was actually smiling. Name after name was called out. There were about two hundred graduates today. Finally her name was called. As she walked across the stage, a feeling of happiness rose within her. She had to will herself not to cry as she shook hands with the dean and president.

Finally the graduation ceremony came to a close, leaving the students to find their friends and form little knots of black mixed in with parents and other visitors. Tasuki swung Lani in a circle, and grinned at her. They were already planning their wedding, but they hadn't announced the date. They were going to do that at the celebration dinner they were all going to. Tomo and Miboshi weren't going to be there; they had transferred to another college two years earlier. Ashitare had gotten an offer to go pro with his wrestling at the same time and had taken the chance. He was now a promising wrestler, going for his first real title. However, Yui, Nakago and Soi (now married), Amiboshi, and Suboshi would all be there. Of course, all of the Suzaku group would be there.

The dinner was a relaxed one, with everyone chatting, eating, and having a good time. It was towards the end that Tasuki stood and asked for everyone's attention. The room grew quiet, and Lani gripped Tasuki's hand, knowing what was coming. "Lani and I have known each other for a long time now, and we have also been engaged for a long time. Now I'm pleased to announce that we will be married a year from now, and that all of you are invited." The room broke out in cheers and clapping as Lani and Tasuki sat down again. They were both congratulated, and Tasuki got several good thumps on the back. As Lani's eye met with Tasuki's, she felt that up till now, this was the happiest moment of her life.

Kristall: Wow! That was pretty long. I'm sorry if the end seemed a bit rushed, but I wanted to imitate how college life seems to fly by. (I just found out that I have only four semesters left, unless I decide to do a double major. How'd that happen?) The epilogue will be out hopefully in two weeks or so, but I learned long ago not to make guarantees for writing. I hope you enjoyed this! Later!


	14. Chapter 14

Suzaku vs Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: Man, have I been busy! I wrote the wedding scene around Thanksgiving, but then my muse refused to give me any more ideas until I was done with finals. Seeing that I had my last final today (YIPPIE!! does a victory dance), my muse saw fit to once again flood my mind with ideas, as well as the needed desire to write. Anyway, here is the last chapter. Yes, this is the last one! I will post an epilogue though. I hope you've all enjoyed this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Cheers!

Chapter 14

Lani could hardly believe her eyes. The last year had gone by in a flurry of planning, new jobs for herself and Tasuki, and keeping up with all of their friends. Fortunately, most of them had stayed in the same town they had graduated from a year ago. Now, as she looked at herself in the mirror, Lani wondered if the person she saw was really her.

The person looking back had on a beautiful ivory dress that laced up in the back. The skirt was decorated with sections of gold that started as points around her waist and ended as wide sections at the hem of her dress. The bodice was strapless, and had beadwork on the chest that ended in a point a little above her waist. The dress fit her like a glove, thanks to the lace up back, and she could hardly believe that she had that small a waist. She had had Miaka check how large her waist was, just to make sure. It was still the same size as usual—28 inches. But with the A-line skirt and short train, it looked like her waist was much smaller. She grinned to herself. The active lifestyle that she and Tasuki led was more than enough to keep them fit and slim.

She turned to Miaka and asked to have her small mirror. "I want to be sure my hair's perfect." Miaka smiled at her.

"It's been perfect the last fourteen times you've checked it but here's the mirror anyway." Miaka, Lani's maid of honor, was very happy for her friend. She couldn't help but giggle as Lani checked her hair, make up, and jewelry yet again. Lani and Tasuki had been kept away from each other since the afternoon before, and clearly Lani was worried about how Tasuki was going to react when he saw her. Lani made sure that the pins that held up her hair before letting it cascade down in soft curls were all in place. She smiled. For once, her complexion was perfect, no blackheads or blemishes of any kind, skin tone evened out with a very light layer of foundation, and make up that emphasized her eyes, and yet was still very subtle. She still wore the engagement ring Tasuki had given her, and also wore an earring and necklace set that was both elegant and simple. Lani's bouquet had her favorite flowers, lilies, and other spring colors to match the season.

Looking around the room, she smiled as her seven bridesmaids took care of the finishing touches for their make up. She then turned to look at herself in the mirror again. She was thinking of Tasuki, and wondering what he was doing.

Tasuki was having an extreme case of nerves, and Chichiri was doing his best to reassure him. "But what if this is all a huge mistake?"

"Tasuki, if this were going to be a huge mistake, you would have known long before now, and you wouldn't be here toady. It's going to be fine."

"What if I forget what to say?"

"How could you forget? You're going to be repeating what the minister says."

"But…but…"

"Tasuki, calm down and get a hold of yourself. You are marrying a wonderful woman who loves you for who you really are, and she wants to be with YOU for the rest of her life. Not me, not Suzaku, YOU. Be thankful for what you have, and remember to cherish her. She's a very special person."

"Yeah, you're right. She is very special." Tasuki sounded happier and more confidant, which made Chichiri sigh in relief. "But what if I screw up during the wedding?" Chichiri sighed and thought that the sooner three o' clock came, the better. He looked over at the others who were getting ready. He himself was to be the best man, the rest of them were groomsmen.

Hotohori grinned as Tasuki continued to pace back and forth, still nervous. It was almost time to go, there were about five minutes left before Tasuki would take his place at the altar to watch Lani walk down the isle. The men left the room a minute later, following the minister who was going to perform the ceremony.

They entered the sanctuary through a side door, which was the signal for the guests to quiet down and wait for the first bridesmaid to walk down the isle. After all seven were in their places, Tasuki's youngest niece and nephew came down as the ring-bearer and flower girl. Tasuki was highly nervous, waiting anxiously to see Lani. And then suddenly, he could see a figure in a light colored dress walking to the doors. She passed through them, and allowed her father to take her arm. Then the two proceeded down the isle, slowly. It took Tasuki a few moments to realize that the guests were all standing, and that it was Lani walking towards him. He kept his jaw from dropping only by smiling at her. The guests then sat down again, Lani was given away by her father, Lani handed her bouquet to Miaka, took his hands, and then everything became a blur until they kissed. Then, smiling, they raced back up the isle.

Lani sat down in the car, even happier than when her engagement had been announced. She could hardly believe it. Tasuki was finally hers, just as she was finally his. She smiled at Tasuki who had just gotten in the driver's seat. He looked at her and grinned back. She still wore her dress, but they weren't going far. She didn't have a single clear thought in her head, but she could feel the happiness coursing through her body.

As with the wedding, the car ride went by in a blur. Lani was surprised when Tasuki parked to find that they were already at the house they had been given by Tasuki's parents. She looked up at the one story, three bedroom house. She and Tasuki had poured over the floor plans. The kitchen was large, and had two alcoves branching off that they had decided to make into a dining room and a den. The space between the two alcoves opened into an enclosed patio. The living room was also fairly large, and there was a small study, two full bathrooms (one in the master suite), a laundry room, and a two car garage. Lani was still staring when Tasuki swept her up in his arms. He had opened the door, and now carried her into the house. Tasuki paused only long enough to kick the door closed, set to lock automatically, before carrying her to the master bedroom. Lani noticed that the house had already been furnished, clearly showing Tasuki's good taste in decorating. Or so she hoped.

Tasuki set her down and looked at her. His eyes were soft and loving, echoing in the smile on his lips. He kissed her, slowly, tenderly, but abruptly she pulled away. He was puzzled, especially when she couldn't look at him. "Lani? What's wrong love?"

Lani felt Tasuki's hand under her chin and looked up. He was taken aback by the tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. She sniffed, and then tried to get out what was bothering her. "Oh, Tasuki. I…I am so…ashamed."

"What?! Why?" Tasuki's voice revealed both his surprise and concern. Lani bit back a sob.

"It's our…our wedding night, but…but I'm not…I'm not…" Lani broke down then, sobbing into Tasuki's chest. Both of her hands had fisted in his shirt. She couldn't finish her sentence, but he understood now. Aidou had expected that something like this might happen, and had warned him just in case.

"You feel ashamed because you aren't a virgin for our wedding night?" Lani nodded into his chest and sobbed harder. She felt Tasuki stroking her hair, his cheek lying on top of her head. "Don't be ashamed."

"Huh?"

In her surprise, Lani looked up at him. The sight of her with tears in her eyes and drying on her cheeks melted him. He smiled and went on. "What happened to you was no fault of your own. What happened was not _your_ choice, nor was there any way you could have prevented it from happening." Lani's breath caught in her throat. "To me, you are still pure. You are the purest thing I have ever seen."

Lani gave him the most loving smile he had ever seen. He pulled her closer, and then started untying her dress. She gasped in surprise, but giggled. Tasuki grinned wickedly. "Now then, shall we start this night?" Lani blushed, but shyly nodded her head. Her sudden shyness fueled Tasuki's mood. They didn't fall asleep until the stars were starting to fade from the sky.

Tasuki: Man, I really liked that last part!

Lani: blushing

Kristall: Just wait till you see the epilogue!

Tasuki and Lani: read preview and turn very red

Kristall: See ya later!

A/N: Apologies for how long it took to post this. I forgot that my access to the Internet (with my laptop, where I keep my stories) ends when I go home during break, so I had to wait until I got back to school. SORRY!


	15. Chapter 15

Suzaku vs Seiryu

By: Kristall

Disclaimer: First of all, I do not own any of the FY characters or their contracts. Wish I did though!

Second, I want to thank everyone who's read this to the end. I know it's been a while since I posted the last chapter, but my muse went on vacation right after I posted it, and after I finally wrote this, I had trouble getting the doc manager to accept it.

Third, I would like to thank all my readers and reviewers, especially Amashi-chan, DPFYLUVR, and KittyLynne. You got my muse to come back from vacation!

Epilogue

Lani sighed as she turned over yet again. This had to be the sixtieth time tonight that she had tried to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. It wasn't easy considering the fact that her stomach was the size of a watermelon right now. She knew that the sleepless nights because of her stomach would soon end, only to be replaced by sleepless nights of midnight feedings.

Tasuki stirred beside her, and then slowly opened an eye. "You still awake?"

"I can't sleep. No matter which position I try, they're all uncomfortable!" Frustration brought tears to her eyes and made her voice grow hoarse. "I just want to sleep!" Tasuki pulled her to him, his chest warm against her back, and gently stroked her stomach.

"I know it's hard, but be patient. You know that his isn't going to last forever." Lani sniffled as she felt herself relaxing at his touch. She sighed, and soon Tasuki could feel her deep, even breathing. He smiled to himself. These days, he was the only one who could get Lani to sleep, a fact that he enjoyed. He could still remember when Lani told him that she was pregnant with their child. He had almost literally gone through the roof with joy.

Tasuki was also very tired. Lani's troubles with getting to sleep had also been keeping him up. He was looking forward to the baby's arrival as much as Lani was. Tasuki sighed to himself as he wrapped an arm around as much of Lani's waist as he could. They were going to the doctor tomorrow, again. His last thought as he drifted off was that he hoped the baby would come soon.

Lani was sitting on the examination table, while Tasuki was waiting in a nearby chair. The nurse had taken Lani's blood pressure, weight, and other stats before leaving them alone to wait for the doctor. These trips were boring until the doctor got to them. Lani looked at Tasuki. _He looks good. How is it that seeing him obviously sleep deprived makes him look even better?_ She grinned to herself. She knew that the reason behind her musings was that Tasuki really cared about her. She gave thanks yet again for being allowed to find this wonderful man.

"How are we today?" The doctor walked into the room, breaking the silence that had been there before. Tasuki mumbled a reply while Lani smiled at the doctor. She really liked her, and this doctor knew what she was gong through, having had two children herself.

The exam went as it always did, but the end was different. "You have the usual instructions as far as coming to the hospital and all that, but I'm going to add on something new for next week's appointment, just in case. We don't want this pregnancy to last too long, since it might cause complications if it does, and you're already a week past the due date. If the baby isn't showing any signs of getting ready to make an appearance by next week, I want to go ahead and speed things up a bit. Would that be alright?"

"What do ya mean, speed things up a bit?" Tasuki was slightly alarmed at this. Lani just put a hand on his arm.

"We would simply induce Lani. Don't worry; we won't do anything that would hurt the baby."

"What sort of complications would come up if the baby was too late?" Lani had done her homework, but this was news to her. The doctor looked at her, a blank look on her face.

"It is possible that the placenta would not work as efficiently, meaning that the baby could go into oxygen distress. The baby could also grow too large to fit into the birth canal." She smiled at the expectant parents now. "We just want to ensure the health of both the mother and baby."

Lani smiled back as she squeezed Tasuki's arm lightly. "It would be alright, if it became necessary." Tasuki accepted his wife's decision. After all, when you got down to it, Lani would be doing all of the work when the time came. She should get to choose, barring complications, what to do.

That night, Lani found herself restless. She tried music, warm milk, reading, and even walking, but nothing helped. Not even Tasuki could get her to lie down. Lani decided to go try some more milk when suddenly she felt a clenching sensation in her stomach. It wasn't painful, but it was totally unexpected. Tasuki had seen her stop in her tracks and gone to investigate. "Lani, what's wrong?" His hand landed on her stomach just in time to feel the contraction. This time Lani hissed with pain.

Tasuki helped her to the nearest chair so that she could sit down while he got the stuff they needed out to the car. Their overnight bags were already packed. Tasuki got them out to the car, and then came back to find Lani digging her fingers into the armrests of the chair as another contraction came. He picked her up, knowing it would be faster, and hurried out to the car.

They were admitted to the hospital, and by that time Lani was begging for an epidural to stop the pain. She calmed down once it took effect. Her doctor came in, and checked Lani's progress. "Not much difference from yesterday. This is going to take a while, but the baby should be here sometime today. I'll come back and check later."

Lani looked over at Tasuki. "It's really coming, isn't it?" Her voice sounded like a child would after having been promised a wonderful treat. Tasuki nodded.

"Yeah, it's coming alright. You are the most wonderful woman in the world, you know that?" Lani smiled at his flattery. She didn't feel any of the pain anymore, but now there was nothing to do except wait. Tasuki had brought along some of her favorite books, and she actually managed to get in a few catnaps during the day. It was almost dark before any real change came.

Tasuki and Lani had both insisted that Tasuki be there for the birth of the child. Things were speeding up rapidly, and Tasuki had been told that the best thing he could do now was to encourage Lani as she pushed. Then Lani gasped as she gave one final push and then felt nothing. A second later, a small cry went up. Lani was exhausted by now, but she smiled when she heard the baby crying. Tasuki was speechless, looking on as the cord was cut and then the baby was taken to the other side of the room where it would be cleaned off, dried, weighed, and measured. Lani kept on craning her head to see what the baby looked like, while Tasuki stroked her hair and kept on mumbling how wonderful she was.

Then a bundle wrapped in a blanket was gently set into Lani's arms. "It's a girl." Tasuki was smiling so widely he thought his face would split wide open. Lani just looked at her daughter in wonder. Then she looked up at Tasuki. He looked back at her, and she smiled at him. Then they both turned back to watching their daughter, just as she opened her eyes and looked straight at them.

The End

Kristall: sniffs Man, that was emotionally draining. I hoped you enjoyed, and please don't forget to leave a review. My next story is almost finished, so keep an eye out for it! Later!


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